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Her arms shot upwards and she snapped the fastener on her ski hel a mass of ice blonde hair

‘What on earth was that noise?’ she said, switching to English She was mad She was more than mad

Leo couldn’t help but sain As well as the avalanche of blonde hair, this lady had the clearest blue eyes he’d ever seen She pretty much looked like souess how she would take that kind of comparison

‘It sounded like a co up Either way, it was loud’

She was digging her elbows into the snow and struggling to push herself up

‘Can I give you hand?’ He stood up and reached out towards her

For a second he thought she ht refuse, but after the briefest pause she pulled one hand frohtly

He tugged—maybe a little ht up into hiht hit her feet and she yelped again as her leg buckled beneath her

He tightened his grip and pulled her against his hip ‘Do you think so’s broken? Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?’

She was breathing hard and fast but her skin was pale ‘Just give asped

So he did And even though it was freezing after a few seconds he was struck by the heat eht frame She was taller than most women he met, but still at least six inches shorter than hi a little colour appear in her pale

cheeks and her breathing eventually starting to slow She was holding her left foot off the ground and tentatively put it back doincing almost immediately

‘Want me to carry you?’

Her froas fierce but she didn’t bite his head off Instead she leaned a little into hiot a bit of an old injury Would you y I can use there to get back to my chalet’

‘Can you stand for a second?’ She nodded and he bent to retrieve her skis and poles before sliding his arht ‘Okay, then What were you doing, practising so late? Most people are in the town by now’

She gripped onto his ar careful not to put too ht on her foot

Leo couldn’t help but ask again ‘You’re sure that’s not broken?’

She shook her head ‘I’m sure Believe me I’ve broken a few bones in my time’

It was just the way she said it He couldn’t help himself ‘What—yours or other people’s?’

She threw back her head and laughed, then obviously put too ht on her bad foot ‘Ouch’

Leo actions were instinctual He dropped the skis, bent down and swept her up into his arms

‘What are you doing?’ Her eyes ide She glanced around but it was late, the slopes were quiet, and there wasn’t really anyone else watching

‘I’e ski hut ‘No point hurting yourself when you don’t need to I’ll co as she craned over his shoulder to look for her abandoned equipment He looked down at her curiously He could tell she was just about to object again ‘So, have you broken a lot of bones? What are you—a ski instructor?’

There was a flash of sohed ‘Yes, I guess I am’

HeJust like she’d said, there was a large SUV with snow tyres ‘Want ently down next to the passenger door